Since the turn of the century, Africans have borne witness to significant change, politically, economically, socially and environmentally. After decades of instability, African countries have seen impressive economic growth, increased stability and improved governance and declining poverty. Yet, the growth remains fragile, highly dependent on external factors, and despite these gains, the continent is largely underperforming and failing to capitalise on its rich natural and human resources. Today, the development process in Africa is driven by overarching frameworks of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agendas 2030 and 2063. Both Agendas clearly single out the role that human and institutional capacity development must play in the achievement of their respective development goals. The realisation of these agendas ultimately requires changes and adjustments in the way African countries conduct their development. Some of the main challenges they face include how to be more creative in mastering their development processes, full engagement with the world economy, rethinking relations within Africa as well as with the rest of the world, and translating economic gains into well-being, welfare and stability for all African citizens in a sustainable and inclusive manner. Going forward, our capacity to plan for development, design sound policy, implement effective strategy, and deliver on Africa’s potential will depend entirely on the quality of our human resources. The world is changing; Africa is changing, and our institutions must catch up and keep up. There is an urgent need for the structural transformation of our institutions to ensure that progress is sustained. This transformation largely depends on a continuous investment into the capacity development of government, civil society and regional institutions. After 55 years of developing the capacity of African public officials and institutions, IDEP remains both a pioneer and a key resource for developing human capital within the continent.

« The world is changing; Africa is changing, and our institutions must catch up and keep up. »